# Top of rad cap broke off

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [October 30, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817 "2018-10-30T03:43:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnnie\_Niles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@Johnnie\_Niles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnnie_Niles)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 3:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/1 "2018-10-30T03:43:12Z")

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Hey was gonna top up my coolant and was having a hard time getting the cap off (I was pushing down and going counter clockwise) and I broke off the top black plastic piece any ideas on how to get the rest off

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**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 4:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/2 "2018-10-30T04:30:23Z")

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Not sure about the rest off, but it sounds like it may be time for a new radiator.

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**Author:** ![Johnnie\_Niles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@Johnnie\_Niles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Johnnie_Niles)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 5:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/3 "2018-10-30T05:00:41Z")

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I was trying to unscrew cap and top of cap broke off, the bottom of cap still intact not my whole rad sorry

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**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 5:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/4 "2018-10-30T05:19:40Z")

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If you didn’t break the radiator part, the rest of the cap should just come right off. Just grab onto it with something like a needle nose pliers, hook like a spring puller, or anything. You’ll obviously need a new cap.

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**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 12:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/5 "2018-10-30T12:51:31Z")

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cap is on radiator? or coolant recovery tank? buy a new cap. compare it to old cap.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/6 "2018-10-30T13:08:18Z")

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Make/model/year?

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**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/top-of-rad-cap-broke-off/127817/7 "2018-10-30T17:44:16Z")

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If you don’t have pliers that large, perhaps a small strap wrench would get a good grip.